Champions League play-offs mean extra Manchester City fixtures but can they take advantage?

ALL but 1 of the English clubs progressive successful Europe this play progressed straight to the circular of 16.

Manchester City are the objection arsenic they needed a triumph against Club Brugge conscionable to scrape a spot successful the Champions League play-off circular having finished 22nd successful the league phase.

Pep Guardiola's broadside indispensable present bushed Real Madrid, the astir decorated nine successful the competition's history, implicit 2 legs if they are to articulation Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa successful the past 16.

While this is simply a daunting imaginable for the defending Premier League champions, it's different avenue to points for Dream Team managers.

At the clip of writing, Man City are the lone squad with 4 fixtures to fulfil crossed the adjacent 2 Gameweeks.

For comparison, Arsenal are presently scheduled to play conscionable erstwhile successful the aforesaid clip frame.

The fixture database volition alteration depending connected this week's Carabao Cup semi-final 2nd limb results but it's existent to accidental that nary squad volition person much point-scoring opportunities than City from present until the extremity of Gameweek 24.

Gaffers tin expect a second-string squad distant to Leyton Orient successful the FA Cup 4th circular this Saturday but Guardiola volition sanction what helium believes to beryllium his strongest XI against Real Madrid connected Tuesday night.

It's worthy repeating that the La Liga giants are acold from favourable opponents and it wouldn't beryllium a astonishment if Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and institution exposed City's antiaircraft frailties.

Dream Team bosses should truthful beryllium wary of backing Josko Gvardiol (£4.4m), John Stones (£3.4m) and different assets astatine hazard of minus points if Carlo Ancelotti's broadside tally riot.

Especially with Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham each to travel earlier the extremity of February.

But the club's main attacking threats are viable options.

City person scored 29 goals successful 7 games since the crook of the twelvemonth with points aplenty for Erling Haaland (£7.9m), Phil Foden (£6.6m) and Savinho (£4.3m).

The Brazilian winger is astir apt a tad underrated among Dream Team managers arsenic helium presently features successful conscionable 3.6% of teams.

Savinho ranks eighth among each players for bonus points portion lone Mohamed Salah (£7.9m) and Bukayo Saka (£6.6m) person provided much assists successful each competitions.

Or possibly Omar Marmoush (£4.5m) volition travel to the fore?

The Egyptian guardant volition beryllium eligible to play against Real Madrid successful the play-off circular of the Champions League.

Rewind a twelvemonth and astir Dream Team managers would not hesitate for a infinitesimal erstwhile presented with an accidental to load up connected Man City players but the existent mentation of this broadside is acold from imperious, arsenic evidenced by their capitulation astatine the Emirates past clip out.

Will Haaland, Foden and friends marque the astir of their engaged docket oregon is this a carnivore trap acceptable to ensnare naive gaffers?